MyKronoz reveals a full-color smartwatch with mechanical watch arms

This is a first. MyKronoz just introduced the ZeTime, a hybrid smartwatch with arms like those found on traditional watches. Essentially the company put a watch movement behind the touchscreen, drilled a hole, and let gears stick through. At this point, the watch is not available for purchase though the company says it will be out in September for $199.

Apparently, even with the watch movement, there’s still room in the case for all the bits normally found in a smartwatch. The ZeTime has an activity tracker, an optical heart-rate monitor, notifications and all the rest.

The company says the watch’s movement will last for 30 days. There’s no word on how long the battery will power the color touchscreen, though.

There just seems to be something off about the product. It doesn’t appear to run a standard operating system, which means 3rd party support will be nonexistent. And the final product will likely not look as polished as the demo images the company is distributing today.

As Brian wrote earlier this week, smartwatches need to get better and provide a better experience for the wearer. And the ZeTime, for as silly as it appears, is on the right path. The watch will function as a watch even if the touchscreen runs out of juice. There are already several hybrid smartwatches on the market, but none as immersive as this. And hopefully by September, when this product is supposed to be released, there will be even more.